Guide for excavating devices



Dec. 13, 1927.

H. L. BOLTON GUIDE FOR EXCAVATING DEVICES is a??? :ys

Filed Jan.18, 1927 Patented Dec. 13, 1927.

UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD L. BOLTON, OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSlGNOIl'xl 'JTOV BEACON OILA COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, 'A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

GUIDE FOR EXCAVATNG DEVICES.

Application led January 18, 1927.

This invention relates to guides for excavating devices and is an improvement upon the invention of Butler P. Crittenden and Alvin C. Killinger. shown and described in their coiending application for excavating` de rices tiled October 1, 1926, Serial No.

188,878. The excavating devices of said application are primarily adapted for use in removing compacted masses of coke or accumulated carbon from the soaking drums of petroleum cracking apparatus or other tanks or overhead containers, and comprise in general a borer or crown drill mounted upon a rotatable shaft axially movable through an openinel at the bottom of the container, a Yhrust bearing for the shaft mounted beneath the container and means for rotating and axially lpropelling the shaft within the container, whereby the drill or cutter bores a substantiallyk cylindrical hole through the residual mass in the container or soaking drum. ln some cases irregularities of hardness of the mass of coke result in considerable lateral pressures on the boring shaft leading to eccentric displacement of this boring head.

A principal obj ect of the present invention is to provide means to avoid such displacement of the boring head, and for this to provide guide means within the container for centering the boring shaft and boring head during its excavating operation.- Further objects are to provide a construction for and mode of operation of guiding means competent to hold the boring head to rotation on the central axis of the container. This leads to capacity to bore a hole in the cokv mass in the containeil of larger diameter` compared with the diameter of the contain/er, than is expedient when the bore may become eccentric.

preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a soaking drum showing the parts in normal position prior to the insertion of the excavating device within the drum;

Fig'. 2 is an enlarged detail view, partly in section. of a centering spider for the bottom end of a guide rod; and Y Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the excavating shaft and boring head in operating position.

The guiding device preferably consists of Serial No. 161,796.

an elongate rod 4t extending longitudinally within the container, such as a soaking drum 5, and supported at the top of the container by bracket as for example the three-legged spider 6, suspended at or fixed within the upper outlet of the drum. Preferably the rod 4- is slidable through the spider 6 and is suspended therewithin by a collar 7, bolted or otherwise fastened to the rod, the lower end of the rod hanging Within the bottom outlet of the drum.

A removable centering attachment is provided for the rod end 8, comprising a collar 9 carrying preferably three spacing arms 10,

one of said arms being pivoted at 11 to a stud 12 of the collar. The three arms normally extend horizontally with their outer ends meeting the walls of the drum mouth. In such position the inner end of the pivoted arm, which is beveled downwardly'as shown kin Fig. 2. extends through a longitudinal slot 13 inthe collar and engages an annular recess 14 of the rod 4, as at 15. By tilting said arm upwardly, as to the dotted line position in Fig. 2` the collar may readily be C detached from the rod 4 when desired and withdrawn from the drum.

As set forth in said copending application, Serial No. 138,878, the boring head 16 mounted on the rotatable shaft 17 may comprise folding radial cut-ters 18, permitting the head to be inserted within` the bottom mouth of the drum, For the purpose of the present invention, the head 16 and shaft 17 may be tubular, having an axial bore at 18, so that when in operating position (Fig. 3) the guide rod l is received within the tubular head 16 and the shaft 17 (the centering attachment 9, 10 having been removed).

During use of the drum as in the petroleum cracking process, the guide rod occupies the normal position illustrated in Fig. 1, the top spi-der 6 and bottom centering devi-ee supporting the rod l along the longitudinal axis of the soaking drum. Then the drum has been substantially filled with. coke or other residue and itl is desired to remove the same by the excavator, the top and bottom caps of the drum are removed, the centering device is detached from the lower end of rodV l and the shaft and boring head, with the hinged cutters folded together are inserted within the lower mouth of the drum. The

rod 4 is received within the apertured head and shaft, and if the solid charge in the drum is such as to endanger deflection of head 16 and shaft 17, may be relied uponto guide the boring head during its ascent through the drum 5.

I claim: l. In combination with a container' and an excavating device having an axially aper-k tured boring head for removing solids from the container, and a tubular shai't tor rotatlng and propelling the boring head through the containeiga guide rod mounted in one end of the axis of the container and extending therethrough, said rod entering the aper# tured head and tubular shaft to center and guide the boring head during the excavat- `ing operation.

through the Container, a guide rod suspended from the top of the container and extending downwardly therethrough,V said rod being adapted to enter and guide the boring` head and shaft during an excavating operation.

3. In combination With an upright 'con- Vtainer and an excavating device having an axially apertured boring head 'for removing solids trom the container and a tubular shaft for rotating and propelling the boring head through the container, a guide rod suspended from the top of the container and extending downwardly therethrough, said Y-rod being adapted to enter and guide the boring head and shaft during an excavating operation and removable means for centering the 'lower end of the rod during the deposit of the material to be excavated and before the boring head is applied thereto.

4. in combination with an upright container and an excavating device having an axially apertured boring head for removing solids from the container and a tubular shaft for rotating and propelling the boring head through the container in one axial direct-ion, a support at the top of the container, a guide rod held on said support to extend axially Within the container, in line with the axial motion of said shat't and removable centering means normally connected to the lower end of the guide rod, said rod being receivable Within the apertured head and sha-tt after removing the centering means, so that the boring head is guided by an excavating' operation. Y Y

Signed byy me at 30 Beacham St., Everett7 Mass., this Fourteenth day of Llanuary, 1927.

HAROLD L. Bonron Said rod (hiring` 

